FOI_24-337 Grade descriptors

Date of response: 20 December 2024

We have now considered your request of 10 December 2024 for the following information:

Question 1. Please provide the grade descriptors, informed by HERA, which are used to determine the grades of the roles currently at UEA.

This can be the descriptors from academic year 2023/2024 should ones currently not be available.

Our response:

Please find below information regarding the grade descriptors for the different staff groups at the University of East Anglia.

Academic Staff (ATR and ATS)

Roles are not assessed using HERA. Role requirements and assessment criteria at each level (Tutor, Lecturer A, Lecturer B, Associate Professor, and Professor) are set out in Appendix A of the attached Academic Progressions Handbook – See accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-337 Appendix A.

Research and Analogous Staff

Roles are not assessed using HERA. Role requirements and assessment criteria at each level (Research Associate, Senior Research Associate, Research Fellow, Senior Research Fellow, and Professorial Research Fellow) are set out in the attached Research Staff Indicative Job Descriptors – See accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-337 Appendix B.

Professional Services Staff

The University does not use grade descriptors for Professional Services roles. Roles are individually evaluated by trained analysts via the University’s job evaluation process - HERA (Higher Education Role Analysis). Roles are assessed against 14 elements comprising 50 statements which are scored and inputted into an online system that generates a total score aligned to a grade on the single pay spine. The criteria for each element and statement are outlined in the attached HERA Guidance Notes for Role Holders – See accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-337 Appendix C.